Reds Waive Jake Cave

The Reds have placed outfielder Jake Cave on waivers, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (via Twitter). As a Rule 5 pick, Cave will be offered back to the Yankees for $25K if another team doesn’t claim him. Any club that does claim Cave would have to keep him on its 25-man roster for the entire season or lose him to the Yankees.

Cave, 23, failed to impress during 56 Spring Training plate appearances for the Reds, compiling a .224/.309/.306 line that was appreciably worse than his career minor league slash of .285/.346/.391. The 2011 sixth-round pick spent nearly all of last season with Double-A Trenton and hit .278/.339/.359 in 132 games (seven with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) while swiping 17 bases on 20 attempts.

With Cave out of the picture in Cincinnati, the Reds’ bench come Opening Day is likely to consist ofJordan Pacheco, Scott Schebler and Jose Peraza, according to Rosecrans. Both Pacheco and Schebler have made strong cases for roster spots by thriving offensively this spring.

Hey del4rel, why do we care anything about what you consider to be related new relating to the Cubs!
This has nothing to do with the Cubs.
Stick with the program man and comment within the related topics.

So the Reds make 2 Rule 5 picks and keep neither of them past Spring Training. This was after an offseason where they got deals that were universally considered sub-par for both Aroldis Chapman (understandable) and Todd Frazier (less understandable). I think the Director of Scouting for the Reds might want to start packing up his office soon because he is doing a lousy job.

If Cave clears waivers I fully expect him to stay with the Reds. Here’s why. Cave was claimed as a Rule 5 from the Yankees before the Chapman deal. Any front office person worth their salt would have included an “understanding” on Cave as part of the Chapman trade. If this isn’t the case then the Reds need to start their rebuild with a complete tear down of the front office.

Can you explain the rule 5 process a little further, like will his next organization have to keep him on the 25 man roster, whether it’s some random team that claims him or him clearing and the Yankees buying him back or them passing and presumably the Reds keeping him in their org? Does he need to be kept 25-manned in any of those scenarios? And if not, does this process just start again next offseason?

If Cave is claimed on waivers, the requirement to be on the 25-man roster (or Major League disabled list) transfers with Cave to the new team. The rostering requirement is eliminated if all other teams pass on claiming Cave on waivers and the NYY accept his return for $25K or decline to take him back, or if a trade or additional consideration is exchanged between NYY and CIN.

I hope he stays with the Reds. The Yankees have several OF in his exact mold ahead of him in the minors. Heathcott, and WIlliams come to mind first. He will be blocked in their system for quite awhile. Let him go to the Reds where he can continue to develop and have a solid chance at a spot in the show in the next year or two.